


Equals Through and Through

by ericsonclan



Series: Ericson's Diner AU [43]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Love, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:33:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26897500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: Mitch and Brody think about the future and want to take the next step forward.
Relationships: Brody/Mitch (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: Ericson's Diner AU [43]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1688374
Kudos: 3





	Equals Through and Through

**Author's Note:**

> (by Linnea)

Brody could feel her anxiety rising in her body, her fingers starting to shake slightly from her emotions. Taking slow, deliberate breaths she started to calm down her heart rate, her mind calming down and recentering back to a safe middle ground. But as soon as her eyes wandered back over at the ring box it started all over again. Pacing back and forth she tried to summon up the courage she needed, one that she had when she had bought that ring last month. She had been so happy during a date that she had with Mitch that the inspiration hit her like a train. Her mind was set, unwilling to budge; she wanted to marry Mitch. 

So she had taken one of her days off to go ring shopping, her eyes searching every single option until she had found a beautiful silver ring. After engraving the words _Always and Forever_ on the inside rim of the ring it was complete. Maybe it seemed stupid for her to be so certain about a ring for Mitch but when she saw it her heart knew it was perfect. It had cleared her out of a lot of her money but she knew deep down in her heart that she had made the right decision. Brody took a deep breath and looked at the open ring box. The air around the room became tense until Brody let out a long sigh and fell back onto her bed. A small meow drew her attention over to Oreo who had hopped up to join her. 

“Hey, Oreo,” Brody smiled over at the striped cat, her hand moving to pet him. He immediately butted his head against her hand that she offered. A loud, happy purr vibrated throughout the cat’s body as it lazily flopped over by Brody’s side. Brody absentmindedly petted the cat, her eyes focused on the creature before they looked over at the ring box. 

She didn’t have any doubts about Mitch. She knew he was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. He was an extremely loyal and loving person, even if he was a dumbass and teased her every so often. Brody knew that he would always be there for her. There to be her partner and help her when she needed it.

She had always felt that in the way he showed how deeply he cared about her. Through the deep, gentle hugs that he gave, the looks he sent toward her, the way he talked about her and encouraged her. All the times he had been there to be a shoulder to lean on whenever she felt down or overwhelmed. Never judging and always loving her through it all. He was special, one of a kind. Brody knew that.

But a small inkling of doubt entered her mind when she looked at the ring. That he wouldn’t want what she wanted. A future together. The worrying thought was quickly squashed, however, when Brody remembered some of their special moments together. He loved her too, she knew that. With that thought, her determination was set in stone. She was going to propose to him. _Oh, I should write down some sort of speech_. Brody swung her body off the bed which made Oreo upset.

“Sorry, Oreo. Got work to do.” Brody smiled over at her cat only to see that her phone had dropped out of her pocket. When she reached down to pick it up the screen lit up, revealing the time. Brody’s eyes widened when she saw what it said.

“Shit,” Brody turned around sharply and closed the ring box with a soft thunk. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to find a good hiding spot where Mitch wouldn’t find it. She was struggling to remember where she had last put it. Brody opted to place it in the top drawer of the dresser, promising herself that she would find a better hiding spot when she came back from her shift. Her hands snatched up her apartment key and with some goodbye head scratches to both Oreo and TNT she was off, a giddy excitement dancing in her heart.

\-----

Mitch stared blankly at the wall in front of him, his back pressed against the couch as his hand fiddled with the ring box in his hand, rhythmically snapping it open only to slam it shut a few seconds later. He had never been so nervous in his life. He was going to propose to Brody. Mitch’s eyes wandered down to the open ring box. A beautiful, simple yet elegant engagement ring lay within it.

Thank god Ruby had been free and helped him pick out the perfect ring for Brody. At least that would be right. His speech though… that felt like a whole nother story. He had never been the best with words and now when he needed to come up with a speech worthy of Brody he was struggling. How was he going to be able to tell her how much he loved her, how amazing and strong and brave she was? She had really turned his life around for the better. Brody had come into his life and throughout their time together had shown him that she truly loved him for being himself. A true, deep unconditional love. It was rare in this world yet Brody gave it to him. Then again Mitch felt like he had to pinch himself sometimes for somehow finding someone as amazing as Brody. Because of her he’d realized that it was okay to be open and vulnerable. 

But now that the time had come it was tough. To be so vulnerable and ask someone such an intimate question was no easy feat but that wouldn’t stop Mitch. He’d just have to give it his all and make a kickass speech. _Easy_. Mitch laughed at his own sarcasm. His hand still fiddled with the ring box, absentmindedly snapping and unsnapping the box open and closed. It was the only sound in the room as he brainstormed the beginnings of the speech. He already had the location set and the date - this was the only piece missing. His nerves rattled inside him, causing his hand to move too quickly, launching the engagement ring across the room and onto the floor. 

“Oh, fuck!” Mitch jumped up to his feet, his eyes scanning the room to try and find the ring but it seemed like TNT had found it first. His little paws moved back and forth before he leaned down, wiggling his butt and pouncing on the ring.

“TNT, no!” Mitch ran forward, picking up the cat, making its back paws dangle in the air. “Don’t be a dumbass. You could fucking choke!” Mitch tucked his cat under his arm and proceeded to pick up the ring, examining it anxiously. Luckily it seemed like the fall didn’t cause any damage. Plopping TNT onto the couch, Mitch put the ring back in the safe haven of the ring box before shutting it firmly. _Can’t let that happen again._ Mitch looked around the room, his mind trying to formulate a plan. That’s when he noticed the spare rubber band by the TV. Snatching it up, he twirled and twisted it around the ring box. After a few more loops, he held up the ring box, now covered securely by a rubber band, with pride and relief. Nothing could cause the ring to fall out now. All that was left was writing the speech. 

\-----

It was a lovely Saturday morning when Mitch asked Brody if she wanted to go to Reggie’s Pies and Fries on a date that night. What seemed like an ordinary location where plenty of burgers and pizzas and fries were consumed held a lot of meaning to the couple. At least it did for Brody; it was the place where they had told each other they loved each other for the first time. Now whether Mitch remembered that or not Brody wasn’t sure but she was sure of one thing: She was going to propose to him tonight. The location was too perfect and not only that but there was a beautiful park nearby. She could use that to her advantage and get away from all prying eyes to truly open up and go for the proposal. All she had to do was wait for it to roll around to the evening and choose a nice outfit for the date.

Most of the day went by in a hazy blur. Brody’s mind was too focused on the events that were soon to be and not the ones happening at that very moment. She grabbed the makings of a smoothie: fruit, yogurt, honey, and decided to have a simple snack before dinner time. But it immediately backfired on her. Within two hours after consuming that smoothie, Brody’s stomach felt like she had just been thrown on the world’s fastest rollercoaster. A faint gurgling sound emitted from her stomach. She tried to force it to quiet down when Mitch spoke up.

“You ready to go, Brodes?” He looked over at her, a sort of nervousness seeming to flicker in his eyes that dissapeared as he held open the door. 

“Yeah, let’s go.” Brody moved past her boyfriend and soon the couple was off to their destination. On the way there neither of them really talked which Brody counted as a blessing. Her mind spun with the multiple different versions of speeches she had written and her stomach still felt awful. Not to mention that every couple of seconds she would glance down into her purse to make sure the ring box was still there. She just hoped she wasn’t being too obvious to Mitch.

\-----

Mitch could feel the sweat pooling in his hands. It was pretty fucking disgusting. He hoped that he’d have a chance to wipe them off before holding hands with Brody when they walked into Reggie’s Pies and Fries. He really hoped Brody wasn’t paying attention to detail until after he proposed. He had purposely chosen this location and was wearing the nicest outfit he owned. But it seemed like she was focused on other things. Maybe she was drained from her different shifts throughout the week. It was understandable. Both of them had had weeks like that. Still, he hoped he hadn’t fucked up on the day he’d chosen to propose. Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Mitch pulled into a parking spot and turned off the car.

“Ready to grab some dinner?” He smiled over at Brody, his heart nearly beating out of his chest from his nerves. 

“Y-yeah.” Brody cleared her throat. “I can’t wait to eat.” 

Mitch exited the car and waited for Brody to get out before locking the car. Luckily she had been focused on her outfit for a moment, giving Mitch just enough time to wipe off the sweat on his hands. Soon his fingers had casually intertwined with Brody’s and they were strolling towards the restaurant. 

“Get all you want. Dinner is on me,” Mitch smiled over at Brody who returned it in kind. “What do you think we should get this time? Pizza or burgers?”

Brody opened her mouth, about to answer the question when her face twisted and she ran over to the nearest trash can. A long line of puke spewed from her mouth. 

“Holy shit! Brody, are you okay?’ Mitch ran up beside his girlfriend and started to gently rub her back. He had fucked up. He didn’t know that she wasn’t feeling well. Mitch turned his face away for a second, internally kicking himself for not paying attention to Brody’s wellbeing. “Let’s just go home. You can lie down on the couch and I’ll grab TNT and Oreo and we can just have a movie night.”

“No!” Brody’s tone surprised Mitch for a moment. She stood up with a shaky breath. “I’m fine. _” I can’t lose my courage now._ She glanced over at the trash can. _That yogurt must've expired._ Her hands rummaged through her purse and pulled out a piece of gum. Unwrapping it, she tossed it in her mouth. “I just need to walk around for a bit and I’ll be fine.” Brody motioned over to the nearby park. “How about there?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want you saying you’re okay if you’re not.” Mitch’s face was filled with concern.

“I would tell you if I wasn’t.” Brody intertwined her fingers back with Mitch’s. “I promise.” 

“Alright, we’ll walk for a bit. But if I see that you’re not doing well, we’re heading right back to the car.”

Brody’s smile grew at her boyfriend’s concern. Wordlessly she walked forward towards the entrance of the park. The two walked side by side, trying their best to start up some casual conversation. Both of them were struggling though, too consumed by the idea of proposing still in their minds. Brody soon tossed away the piece of gum and started up a conversation about Ericson’s Diner. That seemed to calm the couple’s nerves, allowing them to enjoy the scenery.

The park was beautiful at this time of evening. The trees sheltered them from the few rays of sun that were still prominent in the sky and the flowers that bloomed around made the park feel even more special. It seemed like the perfect location to propose and as they each shared looks and stolen glances that line became the truth in their hearts. Mitch decided it was time he went for it. He guided them along a path that no one else was taking, a path surrounded by beautiful blue flowers. The two paused and stood there in awkward silence. It felt like an unusually long time when suddenly both of them started to get down on one knee.

“Mitch-”

“Brody-”

Both paused when they saw that the other was reaching for something and that they had gotten down on one knee.

“Wait, are you proposing?” Brody’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Yeah. Wait, are you?” Mitch pointed at the box that was in Brody’s hand.

“Yeah, I just...” Brody took a deep breath; her emotions were starting to swell within her heart. “I just love you so much, Mitch. You’ve always been there for me and I want to spend the rest of my life with you!” 

Mitch’s eyes grew large at those words. “I feel the same way!” he shouted a little too loud. He couldn't help it. He was so overwhelmed by this whole situation. “I love you so fucking much! I want to be with you forever!” Mitch declared proudly, a strong blush on his face. His words seemed to have a similar effect on Brody whose face was just as red as Mitch’s. “Because Brody, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” Mitch undid the rubber band on the ring box which caused Brody to look over in confusion as Mitch flipped open the box, revealing the ring inside. 

Tears were starting to roll down Brody’s face now as she held out her own ring box. “You're the best thing that’s happened to _me_.” Brody opened up the box, showing the silver ring she’d bought. Mitch’s eyes dance with countless emotions. 

“Will you marry me!” The couple blurted out at the exact same time. Both of them giggled before saying yes. Mitch helped out his ring to place on Brody’s finger before she helped place his ring on.

“Whooo!” Mitch jumped up to his feet, the biggest smile on his face. “Fuckin’ A! We’re gonna get married!” He ran forward and swept Brody up in his arms, spinning her round as Brody laughed with joy. When he had finally set her down the two shared a long, loving kiss. As they pulled apart, Brody let out a sniffle, a warm smile on her face. Mitch reached up and brushed away the tears on his fiancee’s face. Brody soon did the same for the spare tear or two that had escaped Mitch’s eyes. 

“Ready to celebrate with some pies and fries?” Mitch smiled down at Brody.

“I’d love to!” Brody’s smile made Mitch’s heart soar. He still couldn’t believe it. They were engaged. “Man, everyone is going to lose their minds at the diner,” Brody’s statement made Mitch chuckle. 

“Yeah, who do you think is going to cry the most: Ruby or Louis?” 

“Hmm,” Brody placed a hand on her chin. “I don’t know - it’ll be pretty close. But I think Ruby will edge him out.”

“Guess we’ll see on Monday.” Mitch gave Brody’s hand a quick squeeze. The newly engaged couple strolled off together towards the restaurant hand in hand. Everything else around them seemed to fade as they took in this special moment.


End file.
